< Back

First work on stage design ever published

SABBATTINI, Nicola.
Pratica di fabricar scene, e machine ne'teatri.

With the woodcut coat of arms of the dedicatee Cardinal Grimaldi on the title and 49 woodcut geometrical diagrams and illustrations of decors and stage settings in the text.

With the woodcut coat of arms of the dedicatee Cardinal Grimaldi on the title and 49 woodcut geometrical diagrams and illustrations of decors and stage settings in the text.

With the woodcut coat of arms of the dedicatee Cardinal Grimaldi on the title and 49 woodcut geometrical diagrams and illustrations of decors and stage settings in the text.

With the woodcut coat of arms of the dedicatee Cardinal Grimaldi on the title and 49 woodcut geometrical diagrams and illustrations of decors and stage settings in the text.

With the woodcut coat of arms of the dedicatee Cardinal Grimaldi on the title and 49 woodcut geometrical diagrams and illustrations of decors and stage settings in the text.



Pesaro, Flaminio Concordia, 1637. 4to. Original flexible boards covered with decorated, painted, paper. With the woodcut coat of arms of the dedicatee Cardinal Grimaldi on the title and 49 woodcut geometrical diagrams and illustrations of decors and stage settings in the text. [4], 89, [2] pp.

The very rare original edition of the first book exclusively devoted to stage design, stage architecture, machinery and special effects on the stage. This first edition was published in the author's home town Pesaro. Printing must have been interrupted, however, with the result that the second volume was published the next year in Ravenna, together with a new edition of the first volume. This first edition is extremely rare therefore, being known primarily through a facsimile edition of the second edition, published at Weimar in 1926.
The work is our main source of information on the scenic practice in the Italian Renaissance theatre. Sabbattini (1574-1654) was an architect and engineer from Pesaro and he was in the service of the Duke of Urbino. He was associated with the construction of many theatres, notably the 'Teatro del Sole' at Pesaro in 1637 for the production of Giovanni Hondedei's L'Asmondo, in the same year in which this first volume was first printed !
The Practica is written in the form of directions to the architect who must transform the Hall of state into a theatre. The author takes the reader backstage and reveals the secrets of the elaborate effects so often found in Renaissance theatre. He deals with the general problems of theatre construction, audience arrangement, scene construction and lighting.

Lower right corners of the first and last leaves waterstained and damaged, but skilfully repaired; re-backed. Good copy with ownership's entries on the title and a stamp on the first fly-leaf. Main source of information on the scenic practice in the Italian Renaissance theatre.
Berlin Kat. 2785, listed here as the first work on the subject!; not in Cicognara.

Related Subjects: Architecture  Italy  Theatre 

Add to Shopping cart
€ 35.000,00

Prices in EUROS (€), shipping and BTW/VAT extra.

< Back

Terms of sale

All items are offered subject to prior sale. Prices are nett and in (€) EURO. VAT/BTW, postage, and insurance are not included. 

Free shipping for orders over € 2,500.  EU customers: if applicable, please quote your VAT number when placing orders.

Preferred mode of payment: by credit card through our secure online payment service, which is facilitated by Ogone. If you wish to make other arrangements, please contact us. Terms of sale

E-mail this to a friend







This is a captcha-picture. It is used to prevent mass-access by robots. (see: www.captcha.net)

Type the characters that you see in the box (5 characters). The code can include characters 0..9 and A..F.*

  


Antiquariaat FORUM B.V.
Tuurdijk 16
3997 MS t Goy-Houten,
The Netherlands
Phone: (+31) (0)30 601 1955
Fax: (+31) (0)30 601 1813
E-mail: info@forumrarebooks.com
Web: http://www.forumrarebooks.com